Chapter 104

Thorne’s POV

“We’ll take three teams- two teams comprised of a leader and five gammas and one team with a leader and eight gammas,” I announce to the gathered men in front of me. “I’ll lead team one straight to the rogue leader, while Jace and team two will secure any rogues in the immediate area. Anders and team three will fan out through the rogue base to stop any further attacks.”

I scan the group of gammas and after they nod in understanding, I continue, “There’s a chance Aurora, your future Luna, is not in the rogue base. We will recoup once I have the information I need and decide what to do after that.”

Jace steps up to my side, “From what the captured rogue said, there are no more than forty rogues in the location he provided. Half of them were included in the attack that happened a few days ago, meaning they could still be injured.”

“Which means, they could have called for backup,” one of my men says, and others murmur their agreement.

Shaking my head, I lift a hand and silence them. “Their only reinforcements are supposed to be off spying on other packs, so we should be alright,” I tell them, “That said, we still can’t let our guards down. We don’t know what to expect in terms of power or geography, so keep your senses open and be ready to fight if you need to.”

A chorus of “Yes, Alpha,” and “We’ll be ready,” echo through the room as I stare down at my men. Taking only eighteen men to go up against close to what could be forty rogues is a dangerous chance, but it’s my only option.

I can’t leave the rest of my pack unguarded while me and my top officers leave the territory. That would be like waving a glowing green light that tells everyone we’re weak and open to attacks. Stealth and quick action will be our best bet in this instance.

Taking a deep breath, I send a brief prayer up to the Goddess for protection and guidance. Ever since Aurora was taken, I’ve had this pit in my stomach that something bad is happening to her. The rogue’s information about the Dark Knight Pack didn’t help matters, either.

“You alright? Did you get any sleep last night?” Jace asks once the gammas disperse to prepare to leave.

I shake my head, “No. I keep having these dreams about Aurora—nightmares, really, where she’s being tortured. She calls out to me, asking me to save her, but I can never reach her…”

My chest tightens, the familiar pain starting up again, and I rub at the ache.

“We’ll get her back,” Jace says, squeezing my shoulder. I glance around, and when I’m sure Jace and Anders are the only ones listening, I let myself admit what I’ve been dreading.

“I don’t think they’re just dreams,” I whisper. The heavy tug in my gut tells me it’s more than that. It’s not just my imagination running wild.

Anders moves to my side, watching me carefully as he asks, “Are you sure?”

“Aurora is in serious danger, and if I don’t find her soon…”

“Don’t talk like that,” Jace says, “If you think negatively or keep thinking about what could be happening, you’ll drive yourself crazy. Focus on finding Aurora and getting her to safety.”

They’re right, but it’s not easy. Aurora is all I can think about. Waking or sleeping, she’s the only thing on my mind, and honestly, rescuing my mate is the only thing that’s stopping me from killing every rogue out there.

“Thorne.”

“What?”

“Your phone is ringing,” Anders says. I shove my hand in my pocket and check the caller ID, groaning when I see Luna Ashford’s name on the screen. With everything that happened, I forgot that we were waiting to hear from her about Aurora’s family origins.

Any way this goes, she won’t be happy to hear that Aurora has been kidnapped. Or that we haven’t found her yet.

Sighing, I answer the call and lift the phone to my ear.

“Why isn’t Aurora answering her phone?” Luna Ashford snaps. “I’ve called her three times today, and she isn’t answering. That’s not like her.”

“Luna Ashford—”

“What happened?”

I’m not sure if my tone gave it away or if she’s just extremely attentive to pick up on that from two words. Not even two words. I said her name.

“There’s been an attack on our pack,” I start, my grip on the phone tightening. “A few days ago, a large group of rogues attacked, and they took Aurora. We’re about to raid the rogue base to see if she’s still there or if they passed her off to the Dark Knight Pack.”

“The Dark Knight Pack? Why would rogues be working with them?” She asks, her voice tightening as the shuffling on her side of the phone grows louder. I realize that she’s moving around.

Searching for something?

“One of the rogues we captured said the Dark Knight Pack paid them to kidnap Aurora,” I say, then explain everything that happened. I start with the attack and how the rogues came out of nowhere. Then I tell her about the fight and how most of the rogues were coming after me and Aurora while a few held off my men.

Luna Ashford cuts me off by asking, “And you’re just now going after her? If the Dark Knight Pack has Aurora, then she’s in more danger than you know.”

“I’ve been in the hospital for days, blinded and poisoned, and unable to go after my mate,” I growl, my anger rising. “I was not physically able to go after her. If I was, she would be safe, in my arms and in my pack.”

Silence falls, and I bite back the anger. It’s not her fault, I have to remind myself. She’s worried, just like me, and I shouldn’t take my anger out on her. However, a little part of me is still livid that she would suggest I just let Aurora suffer.

“The Dark Knight Pack is sick, Thorne,” Luna Ashford says, her voice cracking slightly and pulling my full attention back to her. “If they find out who Aurora truly is, their Alpha will never let her go.”

“Have you confirmed that she’s an Ashford?”

I don’t need to ask because I already know the answer. The gorgeous silver wolf that burst from Aurora in the middle of the fight, and the tone in Luna Ashford’s voice, give me a clear answer. But, part of me still prays to the Goddess that we’re wrong.

“She’s an Ashford, Thorne. Not only that, but she’s the direct bloodline descendant of the ancient Goddess,” Luna Ashford pauses for a moment before continuing, “If they figure that out, I fear that Aurora won’t need to worry about being killed.”

The implication in her tone makes my stomach churn. If they know for sure Aurora is a royal with blood of the Goddess in her, they’ll breed her.

Luna Ashford clears her throat, pulling me from the trail of dread that pulls at my mind. “I’m letting my brother know what’s going on. Keep me updated on the rescue and let me know if you need any help once you find where the Dark Knight Pack is located. We’ll be on standby.”

“And I’ll be in touch.”